Grand Cayman: Day 3

WEDDING DAY!

It was perfect.  It didn't even seem like work for me and Josh.  Everything went off without a hitch.  Blue skies, light breeze, great friends, Michael Jackson dancing moves, weird fish, love for all things Ohio and Michael Bolton, and an outpouring of love.  The day started in the salon for me.  I was with the girls.  They were so amazing...just loving on Kara all day.  Josh was with the guys as they got ready at the hotel.  They had their "first meet" earlier in the day, which was such a great idea.  We were able to get almost all of the pictures done before the ceremony, which left the sunset pictures a piece of cake (well, beside the part of me making everyone walk on sharp pointy rocks...hey sacrifices must be made for artistic vision!)  Let's just say this family is NOT hard to get into picture mode.  They made my job so wonderfully easy.  It's funny, because I consider my job during the wedding day to take care of everyone and to make everyone feel relaxed as I move the day along.  This family was doing the same for me and Josh all day!  Selfless and caring come to mind.  Again, how blessed am I to have a job where I am encouraged and loved! Thank you thank you thank you families!

Here are just a few of my favorites from the day.  I haven't gone through ALL of them yet, but I wanted to give you a taste from the day :o)  Enjoy!

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Oh...and here's some more proof that we were there :o)

Reminder:: Contest Ends tonight at Midnight!

I've gotten some amazing emails with proof that my work is on your wall!  This is just a reminder to anyone else that the big CONTEST ends tonight at midnight...so go snap a pic of your wall/desk etc. and email it me asap.  This is a great opportunity to not procrastinate anymore if you're like me and take forever to pick just the right frame etc.  A free photoshoot could be waiting for you!  I'm off to the beach for now (he he he)!

Grand Cayman: Day 2

If I could only sleep past 7 am, things would be even better! I'm such a creature of habit. I'm pretty sure Josh could sleep until noon everyday (I don't understand how he can do that!). Luckily I took my 4th nap of 2008 yesterday...it was lovely! I've never been a napper, but apparently, that's what you do on an island!

Josh and I started off our day with LarKar and Kara's parents, Judy and Keith (rock stars in their own right) on a little trip. We went to visit the Grand Old House, which is where the wedding will be! Although the lighting will be a bit different for the wedding, I was so happy to look around and get tons of ideas for pictures. I even made Josh be the model (see below :o) We then went to the Marriott, which is where Lar and the guys will be getting ready and where Lar and Kara will be having their first look. Yaye! The hotel actually has lagoon in the middle of it...with baby turtles!!! I'm excited to take pictures here as well.

Josh and I had a bit of R & R in the afternoon...throwing a football with Lar on the beach and hanging out with Kara's extended family. They are so gracious and fun! The Welcome Party in the evening was super fun. The Royal Palms Beach had amazing food and yummy drinks. I've become a big fan of the Cayman Lemonade and the rest of the girls have become fans of the nutty banana drink...or as one person called it by the end of the night, a slutty dirty banana :o) Delicious whatever you call it.

We are ready for the big deal today. We are in GO mode, and ready to rock the day out with pictures for a lifetime! Off to the salon just now...enjoy the pics below!

Smoking guns (I took it right by the Teki torch :o)

The Flying Josh:  I really think that next time you are considering someone to take your pictures, you should ask yourself, "Would your photographer do this for you?"  Josh's motto: Go big or go home.  Side note...only a minor scar on the knee resulted from this near death jump.

My fun girls

Grand Old House:  Just imagine a beautiful bride with a flowing white dress...instead of Kung Foo Josh

This is Kara's color-coded, excel clipboard of fun...eat your heart out my Type A friends...you know who you are...

Are you kidding me...this is the family I get to take pictures of all day!  SOOOO AWESOME!

The Royal Palms at night

Proof that we were there too...a bit blurrier this time (not us, the picture), but still fun!

Grand Cayman: Day 1

Josh and I made it down to the islands around sunset. We were a dead ringer for a typical midwestern couple, complete with tennis shoes, big back packs and woolly sweaters. As soon as we got our luggage, we shed sweaters and switched out the tennies for some flip flops...ahhhh. We were then greeted in our hotel (on Seven Mile Beach) with a welcome bag from our awesome couple, LarKar. Are you kidding me? How amazing!

They gave us monogram beach towels...


Coozies (sp?) for beverages on the beach


STAMPED post cards


Our "Clipboard of Fun" for the week


All of this and more all wrapped up in Trader Joe's bags to take to the beach!


I'm beyond words! So thoughtful, so generous, so kind. I LOVE my brides!

I had to get everything organized in our room right away. I know this may shock some of you since you just read my CLOSET post, but when it comes to business...it's on. Our room is perfect. There is a big table for me to set up my computer gear. I rented, borrowed etc. a TON of camera equipment so I didn't forget anything. Canon users...eat your heart out :o)


Josh and I went out with the crew later that night for dinner and fun. I took my little point and shoot. Apparently Lar and Travis (a close buddy) are closet Pong players...they cleaned up the whole the place (although the MOH and Joe gave them a run for their money and deserve an honorable mention).


Proof that we were here!


Off to relax a bit today...everyone is getting together tonight on the beach for more shenanigans. More soon!

Email Craziness

So I just tried to set up an auto-reply email for the holidays. I thought it would be nice to let people know that I'll be off my computer for a bit...ummm...apparently I'm not so good at setting up "rules" on my mac yet. I'll just go ahead and apologize now for any panic I may have caused you. I'm pretty sure it's going through any email I have EVER sent and is sending you a lovely "out of office" reply. My iphone won't stop beeping from all of the emails I am getting. I'm starting to go a little nuts. So sorry!

And just in case you didn't get one of those million messages from me...have a great holiday and I'll be back to my computer on January 5th :o)

Year in Review: Portraits

Not to be outdone by the weddings, portraits have had their grand memories as well. In fact, I had to make it into a slideshow to show you all the love I felt from these cuties! One of the best parts of doing portraiture is that I get to see my clients over and over again! What a blessing to see these little ones grow so much and to see so much love in a family! It was fun to look back and see just how much the children have changed just this year.

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Urban Portraits!

It was a bit chilly (okay it was actually freezing) outside.  But this family was amazing!  Look how cute they all are! We went around downtown with our little red noses and worked it!  Here are just a few of my favorites.  Thanks for being so fun and making me laugh guys!

:: Contest:: Am I on your Wall? :: Contest::

I love going to my friends' houses and seeing my work on their walls. It's so nice to see everything put together and that it is being enjoyed on a daily basis! One of my sweet friends, Lisa, just sent me a snapshot of the pictures I took of her gorgeous kiddies that hang on her wall and I thought I'd share what she said about it:

"Seriously, you know that you've got some rockin' photographs when each and every person who walks in your front door oohs & aaahs over your kids' framed pictures on the wall. The accolades are getting yawningly predictable. I've just started greeting people with, 'Hi. Come on in. Her name is Kiera. I'll give you her number. Would you like something to drink?' Thank you for giving me a smile in my hallway everyday. Even when my real ones make me crazy, my 'wall children' fill me with joy!"

Yes, she's really that hilarious in person. So I started thinking...Are my pictures on your Wall? I'd love to see them if they are and I'm willing to do my first ever contest just to show you how serious I am about this! Please send a picture of my work (wedding or portrait) on your wall/desk/tree etc. with a little note about what it means to you. It's okay if there are other pics around it etc. I just want to see what you've created. I'll look at all the entries and whomever wins will receive a free photo session in the spring!!! Wahoooo! Tell your friends and pass on the word. This contest ends at midnight, New Years Eve! Send your entries to: kiera@kieraphoto.com

Christmas Pictures for Grandma!

I LOVE this family. The boys may look familiar, as I had a session with them early this year. This time around we added the cousins and had a family picture for the grandparents! What a great idea!

Quick...last minute Christmas idea!

If you're racing around trying to find that perfect gift...look no further! Give the gift that keeps on giving...pictures! From now until December 22nd, I'm offering Gift Certificates with a twist. If you purchase a gift certificate for a portrait session in the next 4 days I will add on an extra $50 print credit! Wahooo! Hurry, this offer ends soon (I sound like a car salesman!)

Yikes!

Kiera vs. the Postpartum Closet

It was time. The standoff had been going on for the past 4 years...seriously. It's hard on a body to gain and kinda lose 35 pounds every year for the past 4 years. I have about 5 different pant and bra sizes (sorry Joshy)! Today was the day. Enough is enough, I was going to win this battle, even if it meant letting go of those cute little pants I wore so many years ago! These hips aren't going back to my college days. I'm down to my pre-prego weight and I'm working on those last 5 L-Bs, to look decent for some upcoming vacations. I'm working out 3-4 times a week and I'm not eating every piece of chocolate that I see. My muscles will reappear one day...I just know it :o)

I wish you could have been there with me. It was amazing. I had every size of everything in the "black hole" as my husband calls it (his side is always neat and orderly...grrrr). It was fun to try on jeans that finally just slid right off of me. And it was sad that some not only still didn't fit, but actually helped the muffin-top to reemerged. ugh.

This is how it began:

Apparently, I did NOT need to buy those khakis the other day...I have quite a few! And yes, some still have the sale tags on them.

So long elastic pants!  There was nothing like eating a big meal while have you around my prego waist.

Yes, you read right...1995.  Although this event and year don't seem that long ago in my Kiera head, it was actually 13 years ago.  I don't even want to talk about it.

I have actually had these pair of pants since high school (hey, they're perfect for a snowy day!).  The sad part is that I remember getting this tear during one of my classes at WC on the desk I was sitting at.  This was, of course, sans paint...that came later.

Ahh....the finished product. Not bad...

Now on to the shoes...

The power of amazing women

My friend Katie just sent this me today. She's one of those people I want to be like when I grow up...even though we're the same age :o) When I first listened to it, I was in the customer service line at Kohls waiting to return something. I had to hold the phone up to my ear so I could hear it over the elevator music playing in the background. It took every fiber of my being not to completely bawl my eyes out. Still, a bit teary-eyed, the cashier looked at me as if this wrong shirt had just sent me over the edge or something. Poor thing.

This is for all my ladies out there who constantly pick me up, dust me off and whisper encouraging words in my ear. For all of my sistas who are truthful and honest and real with me. For those who will be vulnerable with me, who listen with care and for those that laugh at my jokes...even if it's just to make me feel better :o) For those who live in the moment, who are patient with me, and love on my children. For those who worship with me, pray for me and lift me up daily. Thank you thank you thank you

This is for you:

A year in review:

As I look back on this year, I have so many great memories of my work. One thing that I love about photography is that you get to see the fruits of your labor come full circle. I get to meet my brides for the first time, be a part of one of the most special days of their lives, and then deliver their memories to them! It's so different than my teaching days, where you don't always get to see the love you give a child blossom. This being said, I wanted to celebrate my amazing 2008 couples. Here are my favorite top 80 wedding pictures of the year, in no particular order. I threw in some engagement pics as well...something to look forward to for next year! Some of these are sentimental from being in the moment, some are just cool, but all were done with love! PS I still have one more wedding to be a part of this year in the Grand Caymans...but more on that later :o)